A “fired up” Bryson DeChambeau will hope to put his rules controversy behind him when he returns to Royal Birkdale to recommence his bid for an Open title.
The two-time US Open champion was expecting to be in the final group after a 66 propelled him to seven under for the tournament, just one behind Australian Lucas Herbert after his major record-equalling lowest round of 62.
But he incurred a two-stroke penalty after R&A officials, following much discussion behind closed doors and out on the course at the scene of the crime, judged he had improved the area for his backswing in long grass on the driveable par-four fifth.
After marching to the practice ground with the daylight fading, the American spent almost an hour hitting balls in the dark, lit by the brightness of the huge screen on the range, before eventually calling it quits just before 10.30pm on Friday without speaking to the assembled media.
“Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it,” he posted on X later.
On Instagram he was even more creative, posting a couple of digitally-manipulated pictures of him floating above the rough at the site of his infringement – an obvious reference to not touching the long grass – while officials discussed the ruling, accompanied by the words: “Walking into the weekend like…”
DeChambeau is expected to be back on site at the Southport links at around 1.30pm ahead of his 3.30pm tee time, where he will start at five under alongside compatriot Sam Burns, who also shot a major record-equalling low score of 62.
Conditions were cooler and cloudier on Saturday, with slightly more of a breeze, and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox was the first to take advantage, with five birdies in his opening eight holes moving him to five under.
That was just three behind leader Herbert who, less than half-an-hour before Burns, had recorded the sixth major round of 62 having missed a putt on the last to set a new record.
